Keep holding on
by sethsduck17
Summary: It's reunion time at John Adams High and the gang hasn't seen each other in ten years. Skeletons come out of the closet and when something tragic happens...will they all pull together or disband permanently? A better edition of Bittersweet Reunion
1. Blast from the past

Chapter one- Blast from the past

"Daddy!!" Abigal tore through the room waving a brightly colored piece of paper above her head.

The man looked up from his computer to catch the incoming seven year old and put her on his lap.

"What's that?"

"You got invited to a party!" she giggled.

"Oh really? Do I get to eat all the cake?" he poked her.

She laughed. "Nooo…not that kind! It's for a school."

He made a confused face and took the piece of paper from his daughters hands. John Adams ten year reunion. It seemed like just yesterday they walked the stage. He sighed and gently smacked his daughters thighs for her to get up. She hopped off him and he found his wife in the kitchen, stirring some sauce for dinner. He went up behind her and grabbed her waist, soliciting a squeal.

"Cory! What if I had sauce on this spoon?" she laughed as she turned around.

"Well then I'd probably be kind of red right now," he grinned as he kissed her.

"What's up?"

He held up the pink piece of paper. "We're invited to a our ten year reunion."

Her face fell and he laughed. "Feel old?"

She made a face. "…Sadly yes."

"Hey I wonder if Shawn got one of these…"

"I don't know how they'd be able to find him over in the Middle East Cory. It's not like he has a forwarding address listed."

He shrugged, his mind still a million miles a way. He hadn't thought of anyone from high school in ten years now, with the exception of Angela, Shawn and Feeny. And the last one only because he kept popping up in random places, not by choice. People like Frankie and Joey hadn't crossed his mind in years though. And then there was Minkus. Oh yes, Minkus would probably go as well.

"Cory?" Topanga waved a hand in front of his face with a worried expression.

He looked at her. "You just really zoned out there for a second, you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. So what do you say, you up for this?"

She looked at the paper in hesitation. "It's been so long since we've seen any of them…"

"That's half the fun though!"

She looked at him suspiciously but caved in the end. "Alright. Well it's in six weeks. Huh, I thought they were supposed to send these things out like months in advance…" she shrugged and turned back around to get some sauce.

"Taste?" she held the spoon out to her husband.

* * *

"Hunter!"

Shawn poked his head around the corner. No matter what anyone said, he wasn't the one that peed in half the canteens yesterday. He was just being framed. And the sad thing…was that it was the truth. Brilliant plan. Unfortunately he couldn't take credit for it. Hell he wasn't even mad, his didn't get pissed in.

"Mail call. Get your ass in here!"

Shawn's body relaxed and he walked up to the sergeant. Letter from Cory, letter from Cory's parents, short letter from Feeny, a brightly colored piece of paper.

"What's up with the gay paper?" his bunkmate Owen called out to him.

Shawn's eyes stayed glued to the paper. His ten year reunion. Half of him couldn't believe it had been ten years, the other half couldn't believe that it was only ten years. He hadn't thought about anyone from John Adams in years. With the exception of Feeny and the Matthews that is.

"Bro, you haven't blinked for like two minutes…" Owen poked him.

Shawn shook his head and looked at the guy. "High school reunion…" he mumbled.

Owen just laughed. "Man am I glad that I'm 23. I feel pretty young next to you right about now."

Shawn just smirked in his direction.

"Hey you can go to it."

"What are you talking about?"

Owen pointed to the date. "It's in six weeks. We go home in four. Happy celebrations to you."

"Crap," he muttered.

Owen looked up from getting water. "You weren't gonna go were you?"

Shawn rolled his eyes and looked at his friend.

"What's her name?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Hunter, you think I'm really that fucking stupid?"

He sighed. "Angela."

"Oh right. That chick you used to talk about all the time. Man, it'll be fine. It's been ten years. You're not eighteen anymore, everything's cool after the age of 25, I promise," he clapped him on the back as he started to walk away. "And if you get any pictures of any cute girls today….feel free to share!" he hollered.

He knew he was talking about Topanga. Cory sent him Christmas pictures a while ago and Owen grabbed one of Topanga hanging ornaments on the tree and started whistling. Shawn explained that Topanga was like his sister. Owen retaliated with saying he had really good genes. Some guys just don't get it. Shawn just balled up the reunion paper and threw it at Owen and watched it hit him square in the middle of the head as he was mid sip of water.

* * *

Angela Moore looked over at her boyfriend, John, who was slicing up cucumbers for their salad and smiled.

"Do I have something on me?" he asked after a minute.

She blushed and looked down. "Just enjoying the view," she murmured.

"Oh yeah?" he asked with a smirk as he came up behind her and put his hands around her waist.

She giggled as he kissed her neck slowly.

"John!! Dinner's going to be ready soon!"

He shrugged. "Baby, dinner will be here. I ain't even worried about that," he said softly, his slight southern accent coming out.

She shrieked as he lifted her up and carried her to the bedroom. They had been together for two years, and to be honest…in the beginning they had loathed each other entirely. She thought he was a stuck up rich white boy and he thought she was a pretentious outspoken black girl with no feelings for anyone else but herself. Damn her boss for making them work together! Although they did finally figure out that they were better lovers than fighters after a couple of months. Ever since they had that fateful lunch with some ignorant bastards from the bank down the street. They thought they were already a couple and couldn't understand why John would "want to lower his standards for someone like her", saying all of this of course right in front of her. Angela stood up, about ready to cry when John put a hand on her arm and told her to sit back down. The anger in his voice was something she never heard before and it kind of threw her off, so she sat back down without a word. John had then stood up and calmly threw his napkin on the table, walked over to the guys and punched them in the face. Of course he got fired after that. But it was all worth it since after he punched them both he kissed her. Three months later they were living together in his apartment. Finally, two months after she moved in she finally told him she loved him. Everyone at her job said they could tell that they were supposed to be together and were just waiting on the two of them to figure it all out. Now he had taken a position at a portrait studio, which was something he didn't mind doing although it didn't compare to the freelance photography he longed to accomplish someday, and she was working at a different bank now. One that didn't make her work eighty hour weeks and then berate her for being 'lazy' during the day when she snuck out for lunch breaks.

"I love you…" he whispered in her ear as they lay next to each other a half hour later.

She smiled as she rolled over and gently kissed him. "I know you do baby. But you know what I love?"

He pretended to think hard about this. "Me?" he asked putting on a cute face.

"Yeah, you. And that steak that's been in the kitchen…"

He rolled his eyes. "Always about food with you isn't it?" he joked.

"Oh, so if you're telling me that if you were hungry and I made you come in here-"

"Made you?" he arched an eyebrow.

"…Alright fine. If you were hungry and I swept you off your adorable little feet when there was a delicious prime rib sitting there in your reach….that you wouldn't be hungry later?"

He laughed. "I'm a guy. Those rules don't apply. We're always hungry," he joked as he leaned down and kissed her as he started to leave the room.

"Yeah well you're lucky you're cute," she grumbled after him.

"What's this?" he asked as he held up a neon yellow piece of paper from the table.

She glanced at it and rolled her eyes. "High school reunion."

He nodded and tried not to smile. "Huh…"

"Oh go ahead and crack your jokes, I'm not going anyway."

"Why not?" he asked as he put the food on the table.

She arched her eyebrow. "Why go a function where I haven't seen people in years that probably forgot who I was and are only interested in seeing how much I've screwed up?"

He pretended to clean out his ear. "I'm sorry. All I could hear was blah, blah, blah, I'm too afraid to go."

She stared at him. "You don't understand…" she mumbled.

"So make me then," he said softly as he took her hands. "Ange, whenever I've heard you talk about your high school days, you always have the biggest smile on your face. You had some amazing friends back then, ones that I'm sure that would love to see you again. Don't just not go because you're afraid to see them. I bet you ten bucks that they haven't forgotten you," he said rolling his eyes.

"You sound like my dad…" she said not looking at him.

He put a finger on her chin and gently guided her eyes back to his. "I have more where that came from, trust me. Did you forget that I had two sisters growing up? I'm very good at this."

She sighed and looked at him. Seeing that he wasn't going to give up until she gave him a legitimate reason for not going…and that she didn't have one other than avoiding someone she was sure wouldn't show up anyway, she threw her hands in the air.

"Fine! I'll go, I'll go," she sighed. "I want you to know that I am dragging your ass to this too now…"

"Oh when you say it like that, how could I say no?" he grinned as he gently tugged on one her curls as he sat down to eat.

* * *

a/n: so i took down my other reunion story and started it over. after reading it through again, i realized that people were right. Shawn wouldn't have acted that way and neither would Topanga. Plus i just wasn't feeling it anymore. so i'm starting it over...and hopefully better. y'all be the judge!!! leave me some looooove. giggles -nikki 


	2. Uncomfortable issues

a/n: i realize that they all went to college together but for the sake of this fanfic, let's pretend that for the most part they all went their seperate ways. they still talked occasionally but not like what went down on the show. otherwise this would have pretty much no point to it all. lol. i may reference things that have happened but for the most part it was just cory, topanga and shawn together in school...at least in my head. and i'm the one conducting the madness!!! moohuhaha!!!!! lol

* * *

Chapter 2- Uncomfortable Issues

"Where's Uncle Shawn?" Abby asked as she jumped up and down.

Topanga put a restraining hand on her head to keep her from jumping and looked at Cory. "You're sure he said today?"

Cory rolled his eyes. "I told you ten times already, he said it was today. Their plane hasn't even started to let people off yet. Both of you…calm down!"

The two girls glared at him and he shrunk back. "Oh she gets that from you," he hissed at his wife and she smirked.

"Good girl," she joked as she stroked her daughters hair.

"That is not nice. Not nice Topanga!"

Shawn's last letter a month ago told him that he was coming home from Iraq in four weeks. Then his phone call last week told him the same thing. He even had plane details and everything. Cory told Topanga and they decided to go and surprise him at the airport. After all, he was Abby's god father and he hasn't seen her since she was three…and besides, Cory just plain old missed his best friend.

"I see him, I see him!" Abby shouted and started pointing again.

Cory looked up and sure enough there was Shawn coming down the walkway, grinning from ear to ear as he saw Abby jumping up and down. He ran over to the girl and picked her up and swung her around as she giggled to no end.

"How are you Abs?" he asked as he kissed her head and put her down.

"Good!!" she giggled.

Shawn planted a kiss on Topanga's cheek and gave her a long hug before he got to Cory. Topanga poked him as he just stared at Shawn.

"You said you wouldn't do this…" Shawn said lowly in a joking tone.

"Oh I'm just so happy you're home!" Cory said in an over loud happy tone as he threw his arms around his friend.

"People are going to think we're together Cor!" Shawn started as he fought his friend off him.

Cory just grinned at him before letting go. "Well I missed you Shawny," he said with a satisfied grin.

"Yeah, me too. But let's not have the entire platoon thinking that I was lying about my sexuality…" he joked.

"What's that?" Abby asked as she pulled on Shawn's hand.

"Abigal!" Cory started but Topanga held her hand up and pulled her daughter in close.

"Do you like boys or girls honey?" she asked softly.

Abby made a face. "Boys," she said after a minute.

"Then don't worry about it," Shawn interrupted.

Abby cocked her head to the side, blonde curly hair falling over one eye but shrugged it off and skipped along with the adults as they were leaving.

"Topanga, she's too young for that!" Cory said lowly.

She shot him a look. "Cory, our daughter will not be ignorant."

"She's seven!!"

"Never too young to learn," was his wife's response.

"Fine, then you can explain sex to her then too," he shot back.

She grinned and tossed a smile back at him. "My parents never talked to me about that."

He glared at her and she laughed and kissed him. "Relax honey! She's only seven…we have plenty of time for everything she needs to know in this life."

He sighed and put an arm around her as he watched Shawn lift Abby up for a piggy back ride.

"Well at least she'll be the most advanced person for her age as far as street smarts…"

Topanaga turned her head up at her husband and smiled briefly at him before following her daughter and Shawn out.

* * *

"Alright guys, hit the showers. You all smell. Horribly."

Cory grinned as he watched the coach hold his nose as all the girls ran by him and fanned them away.

"They're only fourteen. They can't smell that bad," he stated.

The man whirled around to face him with a smile on his broad face. "Have you smelled freshmen girls all day? I think not little brother," he joked.

Cory just shook his head as Eric started to walk towards his office. When everyone found out that Eric took a job as a gym teacher for girls at the high school, needless to say people were surprised. Eric was not about staying fit. Or sports. Eric was about being goofy and weird…and not worrying about his physical shape. But somehow he managed to be great at it and the girls loved him. He was still the same Eric inside; goofy, weird, not making sense all the time. But on the outside, well he started to lose a little bit of weight and since he made the girls do crunches on Fridays he was even starting to get some definition. It was definitely a different Eric than everyone had known growing up.

"You look good Eric."

He shrugged good-naturedly. "Who knew dodge ball could help you lose weight? So what's up Cor?"

Now it was his turn to shrug. "Can't come by and say hello to my big brother? Go out for lunch?"

Eric raised an eyebrow. "Alright, I'll take the bait. Where do you want to go?"

A half hour later, with Eric dressed normally, they found themselves at an Applebee's.

"Do I have to guess why you came to see me or are you going to tell me?" Eric said as he put down his Coke.

"What are you talking about?"

"Cory. You never come to see me at work unless it's something….well bad. Plus, all the girls start pestering me about who that guy is and why is he coming to see me," he muttered.

Cory grinned. "Wonder why I'm cute one?"

Eric laughed. "Yeah…sure Cor. They ask why I'm the ugly one of two. That's right. Now back in real life…"

Cory sighed. "Heard from Mom and Dad lately?"

Eric shook his head. "Nope. But this is their busy time of the year. You know all the places they go and what not. As soon as Morgan hit eleventh grade they took off."

"You make it sound like they ditched her…"

The older man rolled his eyes. "I'm not saying that and you know what I mean. It wasn't unusual for her to come home half the time and find out that they took off for the week or something. I talked to Morgan not too long ago and she said they were fine. Why?"

"I wasn't talking about how they were doing Eric," he said quietly.

He gave his little brother a weird look and then it started to dawn on him. "Feeny."

Cory looked away, not wanting to say that he was worried for the man that he had known most of, if not all, his life.

"He's not good Eric."

"The old man was outside gardening yesterday Cor. It's gonna take more than heart problems to kill that guy," he joked as he stole a fry from Cory's lunch as the waitress put it on the table and winked at Eric.

Eric grinned at her in return and Cory sighed, seeing this.

"How come I never get the winking girls?"

"Umm…Topanga would kill you? And them. She may seem nice…but oh I remember that prank war. She almost killed me…" he said with quiet venom in his voice.

Cory bust out laughing. "Eric!! You stalked her for like a week straight!"

"She beat the shit out of me! Come on Cor…" he sighed. "I'm just telling you, don't cross her. It won't be pretty."

"So he's ok?"

Eric sighed and ran a hand through his short brown hair. "Yes Cory. Feeny's fine. Why don't you just go and see him yourself?"

He shook his head. "Do you realize that even when I was younger, we never went in his house?"

"Oh yes you did," Eric said with a smirk.

"I did no…oh yeah," he said grinning. "You know I forgot about that bed and breakfast deal."

"Rambunctious kid," Eric replied shaking his head.

Cory stared at him. "I'm sorry. What did you just call me? Let's talk about you Eric! Do those girls you're teaching even know how what you did when you younger? You hid in the closet during gym for crying out loud!!"

Eric blushed and shrugged. "Time's have changed."

Cory nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I guess they have…"

"So how's my other brother?" Eric shifted the attention of the conversation elsewhere, referring to Shawn.

"He came home the other day."

Eric smiled briefly. "Good. Jerk never even sent a Christmas card…"

Cory raised an eyebrow and Eric laughed. "Good point."

* * *

Angela looked at the pictures spread out in front of her and smiled sadly. It had been years since she saw these people. Years since she looked at these pictures. The knowledge that the reunion was only two weeks away made her take them out of hiding, made her relive all the sordid details of her younger years. John had never seen these pictures, he had only heard a few stories in passing. But there he was in the doorway as Angela sifted through the hundreds of pictures, not realizing he was watching her.

"I don't know the last time I saw you look so sad," he mentioned off hand.

She jumped as she looked up at him. "What?"

"You look sad. I thought these pictures were supposed to make you smile."

She shrugged not meeting his gaze. "I just haven't…thought about a lot of things since then you know?"

He sat down beside her. "Like what?"

When she didn't answer, he picked up a random photo and held it up. "Alright. Well let's start at the beginning then. Who's this guy?"

She sighed. "Shawn."

"And how did you know Shawn?" he asked as he got comfortable.

She hesitated, not wanting to say the full truth. "…He was just…a friend of Cory's."

"Were you guys close?"

"Me and Cory?" she raised an eyebrow.

"No. You and Shawn, this kid," he said pointing at the picture again.

She looked away. "You…could say that."

"Did you date him?" he picked up on the hesitation in her voice and figured it could only mean one thing.

"Yes. We dated for a couple of years. It didn't end very pretty and we haven't talked or anything since then. Last I heard he joined the Army. Which is fine with me. He can stay in the Middle East," she huffed.

John held up his hands. "Woah! What happened?"

"What are you talking about? I just told you…"

"No. Why are you so bitter towards him?"

She started to get up. "It's in the past John. Can I just leave it there?"

He looked at her and then cautiously shook his head. "No, I don't think you can sweetheart. Obviously you're still torn up about all this…"

"No! No I'm not. I'm dating you now!! I love you, not him. Whatever he did to me, it's over, done with. I haven't thought about it or him in years. And I don't intend to. I knew this reunion was going to be a mistake," she muttered as she stalked out of the room.

His eyes watched her go and he slowly started to go through the rest of all the pictures. Some of them had writing on the back, some didn't. There were a lot of her and Shawn and John just couldn't shake the feeling that something went horribly wrong there. And that his girlfriend, no matter what she said, wasn't over it as she said. He sighed as he started to put the pictures back in the box as a letter floated to the ground. He looked around, unsure of if he should open it. Everything in his head screamed for him to put it back, not to open it and read whatever was inside. But John was human. And being human, he was nosy. He quickly checked to make sure Angela wasn't coming back and he sat down to open it.

_Angela,_

_I wish I could talk to you. I wish you would talk to me! I would have hoped that you believed me when I said I didn't do anything Katherine. But it's up to you to choose who you want to believe. I would never hurt you like that Ange. You are my world and I love you. When I asked you to marry me, I meant it. Part of being married means not lying about things. I have never lied to you, and I don't plan to start now. I know it's been years since we've talked to each other. I would have hoped that you could forgive me and realize that Katherine had this planned all along. But seeing as how this is the fourth time I've written to you and you haven't sent anything back…apparently you still hate me. I loved you since I first saw you. I always have. And no matter how much time goes by, whatever happens in life…I always will. I just want you to know that._

_Yours,_

_Shawn._

He read the letter several times before he checked the date. Three months ago.


	3. Encounters of the Morgan kind

Chapter 3- Encounters of the Morgan kind

Shawn Hunter woke up in a sweat. He looked around the empty apartment and sighed. He was home. Alone. It was all just a dream. When he was in Iraq, he was having dreams that involved Angela. Now that he was home, his dreams involved sand. Given the choice he would loved have to have dreamt about neither one of the choices, but Angela was the lesser of two evils to him at the moment. He got out of bed slowly, rubbing his hand across his short brown hair as he made his way to the fridge. He leaned his forehead against the cool steel of the freezer and just sat there, lost in thought as the nightmare kept reverberating through his head.

_"Shawn?"_

_He whirled around instantly, knowing that voice like he knew himself._

_"Angela…"_

_Tears were coursing down her face as she slowly walked to him._

_"What's wrong Angela?? What's going on?" he asked in a panic. Angela had always been a strong woman, never letting anyone really see her cry, save for a few choice moments…mostly involving him._

_"I was wrong…"_

_He met her halfway and took her in his arms gently as she cried on his shoulder. "Wrong about what?"_

_"Us," she got out. "I was wrong. I knew that Katherine was just lying and I let you go anyway Shawn. I was so wrong for that!!" she sobbed._

_His heart soared and broke at the same time. For months all he wanted was Angela back and now here she was saying that she still possessed some sort of feeling…only she was crying her eyes out about it._

_"It's ok sweetheart, it's ok," he kept muttering into her hair as he held her and rocked her gently._

_"No!! It's not ok! What if something happened to you over here Shawn? What if you never came home? Then…then what…" she trailed off._

_"Oh baby," he whispered. "Angela, I am coming home. I love you ok? I always have babe. And nothing can stop that," he said lowly in her ear._

_She smiled up at him and reached up on her tiptoes to kiss his lips tenderly. He heard a noise in that five seconds that caused his breath to catch and his eyes to open wide. He knew that noise. He had learned to recognize it instinctively in the past two years. The sound of enemy fire. He made to move Angela out of the way but it was too late. Her arms around him and she sprang forward so quickly and her eyes flew open and he could see all the pain etched in them.  
"No!!" he screamed as he clutched her and gently moved to the ground. This was not right. She somehow made it to his camp to tell him she loved him only to get killed by some bastard Iraqi?? Over his dead body. Over his dead fucking body. Tears were coursing down his face as he laid her down._

_"Angela…baby??" he gently tried to shake her but nothing happened. No eye movement. No breathing. Just the loose wobbling of her neck moving her head back and forth absently. His breath caught in his throat and he let go of her reluctantly but as he stood up, his face became contorted with rage. It was one thing to hurt him, take his life. But don't you ever fucking mess with his loved ones. He stood up ready to kill the person that took Angela away from the world….and that's when he woke up drenched in sweat._

He grabbed a bottle of water and punched the freezer door in frustration. He hated having these dreams. He never got over her, he knew that. Hell everyone knew that. Angela was way over him, dating another guy for whatever period of time. Nights like this, he wished that he could just stay awake forever. And fuck that stupid reunion next week.

* * *

The young blond woman sighed happily and indulged herself in a margarita on an outside patio. Twenty three and still single, she slipped off her sandals and enjoyed the feel of grass beneath her toes. She was a year away from graduating college with a degree in design and with the money she received from various internships she bought herself a little house. Granted, the money she got wasn't much but her parents helped her with the payments every month, something she suspected that was fueled by guilt for taking off as soon she became old enough to care for herself. With her brothers out of the house and she being the easiest child of the three her parents would take all the vacations they wanted to do before her oldest brother was born. Yes, after Eric that's when all the trouble started. At least that's what her parents said.

"Morgan?"

She turned her head to see her sister-in-law Topanga coming through the back door. Topanga was more like a sister to her than anything else, seeing as how she'd been around since she was about the age of…five or so. She was also her best friend and more often than not her partner in crime, much to Cory's horror; he had long ago dubbed them Bonnie and Clyde.

"Hey Clyde," she said with a smile.

Topanga plopped down on the swing next to her friend as the blonde offered her drink to her. She shook her head and pulled her legs up under her.

"What's wrong?"

"What? What are you talking about?" she looked out of her yard.

"Topanga. How long have I known you? Are you or are you not my best friend? And you have the nerve to ask me how I know when something's wrong?"

She laughed. She did have a point.

"You can't tell your brother," she started.

Morgan made a face and Topanga held up her hand to show she wasn't finished yet.

"Or Eric, Shawn or your parents."

Morgan sighed. "Yes mother dearest," she made a face.

"You look like your eighteen again when you do that," Topanga muttered as she got up and went into Morgan's kitchen to get a soda.

"Good. At least I'm keeping my youth in tact," she joked.

Topanga sighed and fiddled with her soda tab. "Umm…I'm…pregnant," she said slowly.

Morgan stared at her and almost dropped her drink. She caught in time and put it down on the deck beneath the swing and whooped.

"Are you serious?!"

She just nodded her head and Morgan flew across the five feet between them to envelope her in a hug. "That's amazing!! Wait…why am I keeping everyone in the dark?" she asked suspiciously.

"I just found today. I'm waiting…for the right moment you know?"

Morgan arched an eyebrow and looked at her friend. When she found she was pregnant with Abby she burst into Cory's office at work and yelled it. The entire floor knew Cory and Topanga Matthews were expecting child in about five minutes.

"I know what you're thinking. But it's been like eight years since I announced to the entire floor that I was carrying his child. I've grown up since then."

Morgan made a face and her sister in law just picked up a light cushion and threw it at her head.

"Hello! That could have damaged me!!" she yelled sarcastically.

"Oh doubtful sweetie. Doubtful," she grinned.

"Topanga Matthews! You are a bitch!" she gasped.

She giggled. "Well I learned everything I know from you Bonnie."

Morgan grinned and shrugged. "Yeah…I am pretty good huh?"

"Oh god," she muttered.

"But seriously, when are you planning on telling him?"

She pulled a piece of paper out of her purse and Morgan laughed.

"No normal person would carry that in their purse you know that right?" she asked as she took the reunion flyer.

"Yeah well when you intend on telling your husband and best friend that you're pregnant again…it's nice to have as a reminder."

"…So weird…" she mumbled. "Speaking of Shawn…how is he?" she toyed with her hair and didn't meet her friends eyes.

"Morgan!!" Topanga groaned.

She shrugged sheepishly. Morgan Matthews had a thing for Shawn Hunter since she turned about seventeen. Oh she wasn't stupid though, no. She knew there was no chance in hell they would ever get together, he thought of her purely as a kid sister. And usually he was just a brother to her…but that one day when he came over in his uniform…it all ended. He had his back to her when she entered the kitchen on the phone with her boyfriend at the time and she almost dropped the phone. She had no idea who was in the room since the only person she knew in the service was Shawn and he was out of the state for at least another three weeks. And from the back…it was not a bad view at all. He turned around and she almost dropped the phone when she realized it was Shawn and he gave her a giant bear hug before grabbing the phone in true big brother style and threatened to kick the boys ass if he made her cry. Within the next week the guy had broken up with her just as she suspected. Shawn knew this happened every time and he still did it every time just for kicks. She came home and yelled at him and he just grinned.

"Gotta watch out for my baby sister somehow right?" he grinned as he ruffled her hair as he left.

"I'm not your sister!" she shouted pissed off.

He just looked at her and laughed. Ever since that day…it had been downhill. And Morgan Matthews had been stuck in the middle, waiting to fall to the bottom where Shawn Hunter was waiting. At least in her mind.

* * *

"Auntie Morgan!!"

Morgan caught the little girl that flew towards her and picked her up.

"Where's Mommy?" she asked as she played with Morgan's short hair.

"Oh what am I? Chopped liver?"

"Ewww!!!" Abby giggled.

"Come on pumpkin," she said as she put her down and grabbed her book bag. "I'm walking you home today."

The little girl shrugged and grabbed her aunts hand as they started the walk to Cory's house.

"So how was school today?"

Abby made a face. "I kicked someone…"

"Abigal!"

"He called me a snot faced weirdo!!" she protested.

Morgan laughed in spite of herself. When she was seven she was pretty sure those words left her mouth as well. It was nice to know that insults didn't change that much in elementary school over the years.

"Well why did he call you that?"

She shrugged. "Because of my tuna sandwich."

"He called you that because of tuna?" Morgan raised an eyebrow and Abby sighed.

"He said only weirdos eat that and it smells. So I must smell. Then I told him I was rubber and he was glue. And that made me a snot face!!"

Morgan looked down to see the little girls face in distress.

"Well…where did you kick him?" she asked with a smirk on her face.

Abby looked down. "In the bad place."

She resisted the urge to reach down and give her niece a big hug.

"Hey!"

Morgan wheeled around at the sound of a male voice shouting at them and found herself eye to eye with a pair of brown eyes she hadn't seen in years. Her breath caught as she realized who it was and she attempted to smile but it probably coming out looking somewhat pained.

"Uncle Shawn?" Abby cocked her head. "How come you're here? Are you both walking me home today?"

Shawn turned back to Morgan and an easy grin crossed his face. "Hey Morgan, what's up?"

She sighed. "What are you playing at Hunter?" she nudged him with her elbow.

"How the hell am I supposed to know that some chick walking down the street with my god daughter is you!?"

She stared at him. "Shawn, I've looked the same for years now!"

He just stared at her back. "Well gee Morg, seeing as how I couldn't see your sunshiney face every day in IRAQ…I guess I kind of forgot."

Her eyes went wide. "Oh my God! I totally forgot about your tour! Did you just get home?"

He nodded as he grabbed the little girls backpack from her and started walked slowly down the sidewalk. "About two weeks ago. But how have you been? You look…amazing," he said really looking at her for the first time.

She blushed but thanked him with a smile. She did look pretty good. Her short blonde hair was just starting to grow out and she had it pinned back with barrettes, her olive green capris accentuated her toned legs and her brown tank top showed off her curves and somewhat decent sized breasts. Although if you asked her, she thought they were always too small. She was silently thanking herself she decided to randomly throw this on today as she walked beside Shawn, their hands occasionally hitting the other ones.

"Yeah well the Middle East couldn't have been too bad for you Hunter," she replied in a direct hit.

He smirked at her when he realized that she was attempting to flirt back with him and smiled.

"You know, one of the things I missed when I was over there?"

"Cory? Your gay lover?" she threw in.

He rolled his eyes but sighed a laugh. "Yeah…that'd be a no. But thanks Morgan. I actually missed picking on you and making all your boyfriends run away," he said after a minute.

She stared at him, unsure of what to make of this admission he just made.

"I mean you're the closest thing I've ever had to a sister besides Topanga you know? I miss messing around with you," he shrugged.

She sighed. Sometimes she hated being related to Cory. She really did.

"Yeah well that last boyfriend you scared off happened when I was eighteen. Little bit older now."

He scoffed. "Please, how old are you? Twenty?"

"Almost twenty four actually."

"Holy shit, really?" he stopped and looked at her.

She darted a glance at Abby who was happily skipping ahead of them and doing a little dance every now and then.

"Uh, yeah Shawn. You didn't think time would stop for everyone just because you left did you?"

He opened his mouth and shut it as he started walking again. "So…what the hell have you been up to?"

She shrugged. "Graduating college soon with my degree. Causing trouble with Topanga. Fighting girls off with a stick," she smirked at the last part to see his reaction.

"WHAT?!" he yelled as he grabbed her arm. "Are you shitting me?? When the hell did that happen?!?!" he had both hands on her arms now and subtly shaking her as she laughed.

"Relax Shawn! I'm fucking with you," she said in a whisper and a grin.

"You're the evil one out of your whole family, you know that?" he grumbled as she ran to catch up with her niece.

* * *

The man turned and sighed, looking out into the sea of disinterested faces.

"How many of you read the book?" he asked.

All the hands went up.

"How many of you are just saying that so I don't give you a pop quiz?" he smirked.

All but six hands went up.

"Well at least you have honesty going for you right?"

A knock sounded at the door and all twenty five heads turned to see who the mystery person was and eye rolling ensued when they realized it was just their old principal.

"Mr. Turner, there's something I need to show you," he said in a most urgent manner.

Jon raised an eyebrow ensuing the question if it could wait since class had just begun. George Feeny shook his head and he sighed again.

"If I come back and this entire class is gone…oh who am I kidding? Go home so I can have the day off," he joked as his class tittered. He knew that they would stay in their seats. Fear, if nothing else, kept them there. There were only two students that he ever taught that would dare try to actually leave; but he hadn't seen or heard from them in years and years.

"What is it George?" the older man crossed his arms as a man dressed in BDU's walked down the hallway.

"Did something happen?" he asked urgently. There was never a military official inside the school unless something bad, like a bomb threat happened.

"Look closer," Feeny said softly.

Jon rubbed his eyes and then his mouth dropped. "Are my eyes right? I could swear that was Hunter…"

"Well it does say that on my uniform doesn't it?" he quipped.

Jonathon Turner's face broke out in a grin as he embraced his former student.

"No seriously, what's up with uniform?"

Shawn just laughed. "I joined the Army."

The older man just stared at him. "And they didn't kick you out yet?"

George swatted his fellow teacher on the arm but grinned all the same. "To what do we owe this pleasure Mr. Hunter?"

"I'm twenty eight…can you call me Shawn yet? Come on Feeny…"

"I'm too old for change," he joked as he grinned.

Shawn just shrugged. "Just got back from Iraq…saw the reunion was coming up…"

"Has it really been ten years?" Jon asked in wonder as he sat down on the benches. "I could have sworn it was just yesterday that I was breaking up that little thing you had goin' where you almost broke my bike…"

Shawn blushed. "About that Jon-"

"Leave it. Water under the bridge my friend. So just stop by to say hello?"

He nodded. "I knew it would take a nuclear bomb to get Feeny out of a school."

The two men laughed but nodded.

"You look good though," Shawn said laying a hand on Feeny's back.

He cast his eyes down and smiled. "Lila's still around and making me active."

"She's good for you," he said smiling. Then he noticed that there were eyes peering at him from a classroom. "Yours?" he asked Jon.

He rolled his eyes. "They are going to be so grateful to you that you got them out of 'To Kill A Mockingbird'…"

Shawn smirked as he started towards the room.

"Shawn…" George started and then threw his hands up. "Oh who am I kidding? I couldn't control you when you were thirteen, forget twenty eight!"

He just grinned as he opened the door and saw half the kids freeze on the way to their seats. He surveyed the class and then grinned at Jon who was behind him.

"Any snorers?" he joked.

The teacher laughed. "Only one," he said pointing out a boy with short red hair that was matching his face.

"What, no yipping?"

"Class, this is Mr. Hunter. I used to teach him when he was your age. He came back to say hello," he nudged him.

He waved a little awkwardly before zeroing in on the snoring kid. "You. What's your name?"

The kid turned white as he answered. "Patrick…sir."

Jon snorted back a laugh at Shawn being called sir and the man shot a dirty look at him. "Can I sit here next to you bud?"

His eyes grew as round as saucers but he shook his head. All the girls were whispering and being in the middle of the room, Shawn was able to catch wisps of it, mostly containing 'he is so cute! How old do you think he is' and the like.

"Staying then?"

Shawn shrugged with a good nature. "I figure I have a lot of things to catch up on. I don't even remember this book," he admitted.

"You and Cory slept through the class," Mr. Turner deadpanned.

A grin crossed Shawn's face. "Oh yeah…"

* * *

a/n: blah blah blah, morgan's actually probably younger than this. but it's my fanfic!!! lol. as for eric suddenly being a gym teacher...i wanted to make an extreme change in him. he grew up finally. oh don't worry...he's still eric though, trust me. lol. as for the matthews leaving morgan alone when she got older, i know it's out of context. shrugs just once in a while they would go on vacations. they never could before but morgan was finally old enough so they trusted her and she said she had no problems with it...at least in my mind. oh and if you can't tell...there's no little brother in this one either. 


	4. And now it gets interesting

Chapter 4- And now it gets interesting

Angela's eyes flew open. She sighed as she realized what was wrong…at least in her mind. Reunion day. The day she wished she could just stay in bed forever. She didn't want to see her old friends, not if meant answering all those damn questions about her and…Shawn. Oh it had been hard to just cut ties and run, which is what she did. She ended things with Shawn after…Katherine, that slut he claimed he had nothing to do with, and just never really looked back. She was promoted fairly quick and just packed up and left one day without saying goodbye. She hated doing it. She really did. But it felt like it was best. Then seven years later she quit her job and moved back to the city where she grew up. Three years and she hadn't run into any of them. Maybe they left?? The last postcard she got from Topanga was two Christmas's ago saying that they missed her, they loved her and then gave the yearly rundown about Abby and at the bottom, every time, there was something there about Shawn. Angela willed herself not to read that last bottom paragraph or two sentences, or whatever they happened to be. That didn't happen though. She read it and read it and read it. Shawn had enlisted in the Army and was in the Middle East. That sentence kept reverberating through her head until finally one day she found she stopped caring. She had never fully forgiven him for what he did. And because of that…she hoped he stayed in the Middle East and she never had to see him. If she was lucky…today wouldn't be that day.

"Mm…good morning," John mumbled into her shoulder.

"Morning," she said still somewhat lost in her thoughts as John said something else.

"What?" she shook her head to clear the old memories and looked at him.

"I asked what's up. You look a million miles away…"

She shook her head slightly. "Just…memories of people."

He nodded his head slowly. "Reunion is tonight. How could I forget?? It's been the verboten topic for a week now," he said with a smirk.

She gave him a look as he put his arms around her.

"Do I have to go?" she whined slightly as she cuddled up in his arms underneath the blankets. Maybe if she closed her eyes, when she woke up, none of this would be here.

"No."

She opened them. That was too easy.

"You don't have to go Ange. But I think you should. When you look at those picture you have the saddest look on your face. And whenever I hear you talk about them, you smile like a million watt smile. That's something worth going to see. If it's about you seeing Shawn, well I'll be there babe. He won't get near you, promise."

She turned to face him. "Done yet?"

"Yes."

"Good. You're a lot cuter when you don't talk," she joked as she kissed him.

He made a face. "You're a lot cuter when you're not shoveling food in your mouth but hey, I put up with it."

* * *

Shawn lay in the grass and closed his eyes. He hadn't laid down on the ground for the simple enjoyment of it in a couple of years. This was a new feeling for him and he wanted to get used to it. It was nice. He opened his eyes when a shadow fell over his face.

"You're weird, you know that?"

"You act as though this surprises you…" he said from his spot on the ground.

"What are you doing?"

He shrugged. "I wanted to see what it was like to just lay here and enjoy it. Not worry about missiles or gunfire coming at your head…just the sunlight."

She looked at him, like really looked at him, for a minute. "You know what? I've always admired you Shawn."

He looked at her in surprise.

"What?"

She nodded. "Yeah. You may not have lead the best life and yeah, you made mistakes but you got back on the horse. You never gave up. I wish I had that quality. And then as if that's not enough, you sign up to go to war for a couple of three years. When you come back…you're still you. You haven't changed."

He just looked at her, unsure of what to say and she shrugged. "I dunno. Just felt like…saying something I guess."

He sighed and looked back up at the sky. "Your family is what helped me stay on that horse Morg. If I didn't want to get back on it, I'm pretty sure your father would have beat the sense into me. They wouldn't let me give up. And your brother, totally different story."

She smirked. "Well we love you Shawn."

"I feel as though there's a 'but' somewhere in there…"

She blushed. "No buts. Just is," she said as she got up and dusted off her pants.

"You're watching Abby tonight?"

She turned back around and nodded. "Try and not have too much fun at the fantastic reunion huh?" she laughed.

"Hey Morgan?"

She turned around, surprised to see him behind her. "Yeah?"

He looked at her for a second before crossing over to her and stopping. She just stared at him, unsure of what he was doing but sure of what she wanted and wasn't going to get.

"I just wanted to say thanks."

She gave him an odd look but didn't say anything.

"Well I know I haven't been the easiest person to live with other the years but you never said anything. And then out of nowhere today you say all this…it's just nice to hear. So thanks," his gaze dropping as her heart simultaneously did a dive.

_No. Fuck this. I'm done running away from this bullshit_ the thought raced through her mind and before she could fully realize what she was doing or what the thought meant she crossed the two feet and kissed Shawn Hunter square on the mouth. She stepped back after a second with a scared look on her face that a split second later was replaced by one of a cool demeanor.

"Don't do that," Shawn mumbled.

"Do what?"

"Hide what you're feeling. I saw your face Morgan, I'm not an idiot."

She closed her eyes and fiddled with her hair as he took her hand gently away from it and looked at her. She was going to need a stretcher with the amount of times her heart was stopping today, that's for sure. And with that thought in the back of her mind, Shawn Hunter leaned in and kissed Morgan Matthews on his own accord.

* * *

"Don't give Auntie Morgan a hard time tonight…" Cory said as he squatted down to his daughters level and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm not four Dad," she said.

His eyes grew huge and he stood up and looked at Topanga who looked amused.

"Kids say the darndest things?" she asked with a smile on her face.

Cory just shook his head and planted a kiss on Abby's head as he walked up the pathway to Morgan's door.

"Shawn?"

Morgan came a second later and smiled at her brother. "Hey Cor. What's up?"

"Shawn?" he asked again.

Morgan rolled her eyes. "Oh everything's fine Morgan, thanks for asking. Is there a problem?" she leaned against the door frame.

Before Cory could open his mouth again, Topanga intervened. "Ready to go Shawn?"

The man's eyes switched from Cory to the girl that was like his sister and he nodded. "Yeah. Let's get this over with."

"You are looking at this with the entirely wrong attitude Shawny. This is going to be fun," Cory said upbeat.

He looked at Topanga. "Did you spike his coffee or something?"

She shook her head. "We're actually kind of excited to go to this. We don't have a reason not to be. By the way…what's your reason?"

He looked at the ground for a second. "Honestly?"

"Oh you think you could lie to her? You can't Shawn, it's impossible. Not even you could do it," Cory spoke up.

Shawn rolled his eyes. "I wasn't going to," she spoke in Cory's direction. And then to Topanga, "Honestly, I don't know if Angela's going to be there."

She nodded understandingly.

"Wait. I don't get it. What happened with you two?" Cory asked as they got in the car.

He sighed. "It's a long story."

"Shawn…"

"Later Cory ok? I don't feel like bringing it up right now."

Cory looked silently at his friend for a minute before nodding. "Yeah. No problem."

"What are you going to do if Angela's there tonight Shawn?" Topanga asked quietly from the front seat.

For once the man had no words. "I…I don't know," he admitted after a minute.

* * *

"Angela Moore," she said to the lady at the front desk who was handing out nametags.

"And your guests name?" she asked while smiling at John.

"John," she replied while glaring at the girl.

She smiled a sweet smile at Angela while handing John his sticker.

John opened the door and Angela walked into the room, looking around and hearing "Barbie Girl" blaring through the speakers.

"I think my life is now over," she mumbled to John.

"It's not that bad…"

"I meant because of the song," she shot back to which he laughed.

"I can allow that part then."

He grasped her hand and they walked into the room. "Do you see anyone you knew yet?"

She shook her head slowly.

"Well I'm going to go get some drinks, I think we're both going to need them," he said as he walked away.

She nodded and chose a random table and sat herself down at it. Had they all really changed so much so that she wouldn't recognize anyone? Would they have anything to talk about? And most important…would they forgive her for just running away?

"You know there's still time to just run away…"

"Shawn why are you here?" Topanga turned to him.

His eyes grew wide and he searched around for an answer. "For a chance to hang out with my awesome sister-in-law?" he smiled.

She glared at him and his wind visibly went out of his sails. "I don't know, I thought it might have been fun. But seriously, this is not my thing guys."

"Again…why are you here?!"

Shawn turned to Cory. "Can you make her stop yelling? She gets…freaky when she yells."

"Don't I know it," he muttered back.

"Well you two buffoons stand out here, I'm going in. And Shawn," he turned to see her finger in his face. "If I am in there and here you say one more thing about how you don't want to be there, I'm coming after you," she stomped up the steps.

Shawn turned to Cory with his mouth open but all Cory could do was nod. "I know. And I married to her."

He took a deep breath and nodded his head while putting a hand on Cory's shoulder as if he was commiserating in his misery.

"Come on Shawny. We're already here. Let's just go. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Pl-"

"Forget I asked," he said as he dragged Shawn up the stairs.

"Names?" the lady asked at the desk.

"Cory Matthews and Shawn Hunter."

"Shawn?" her head jerked up at that.

"That could happen," he hissed in Cory's ear. "Umm…hi…."

"God you look the same," she smiled at him.

His eyes just darted around as he tried to remember the girls name but failing miserably. "Yeah…thanks. Well I'll see you later ok?"

"Ok!" she waved and smiled as they walked inside.

"Who was that?" he asked his best friend.

All Cory could do was shrug. "You had a lot of girlfriends Shawny."

He groaned and then spotted the bar. "I have a feeling something like that will happen again. So I'm hitting that beautiful open bar there. You want?"

Cory shook his head and watched as his friend walked over there and rolled his eyes affectionately as he started to look for Topanga.

"Mr. Feeny!"

The older man turned around to see Topanga Lawrence-Matthews smiling warmly at him.

"Mrs. Matthews," he nodded and smiled.

She laughed and hugged her old teacher. "How have you been?"

"Oh you know, the same."

"Did you ever go back to teaching?"

He nodded. "I went back to John Adams actually."

She cocked her head. "When was this? When I left for New York you hadn't taught in a couple of years…"

"Oh a little bit after that. But how are you? Abby?"

She smiled. "Oh we're fine. Shawn came home from Iraq the other day-"

"He paid us a little visit," he chuckled.

She rolled her eyes. "Catch up on something he probably missed huh?"

"Actually he did sit in on Mr. Turner's class."

"Turner's still there?" she asked in surprise.

"Turner's still where?" Cory asked as he came up behind his wife.

"John Adams."

He nodded. "How are you Mr. Feeny?"

"I'm quite fine Mr. Matthews and yourself?"

"Can you call me Cory? Please? I'm a father now…" he pleaded.

"Why call you Cory when I can actually call you Corn-"

"Mr. Matthews it is then," Cory burst in.

Topanga just looked at him with a confused expression and he just shrugged and grinned at her with an expression that said not to worry about it.

"Mr. Feeny!!"

"Oh come now Mr. Hunter. This is not the first time that we've seen each other since you've been back."

His face fell. "You told them I went back?" he asked lowly.

"I also told them you sat in on class."

Shawn seeked consolation in his beer that he had in his hand while his eyes swept the room and he froze as they landed on one…or two, particular people.

* * *

_"I'm just sorry you had to find out this way."_

_Angela was shaking as the tears flowed down her face. "Are…are you…sure?"_

_The brunette nodded her head with empathy apparent on her face._

_"Thanks Katherine. I guess…I have to talk to Shawn…"_

_"I just thought that you should know. I mean you don't deserve to live with someone that would keep something like this from you, you know?"_

_She nodded her head, mute as she walked away from her fiancé's ex-girlfriend. There was no way…was there?_

_"Hey beautiful!" Shawn's voice came through the phone and Angela willed herself not to fall apart._

_"Shawn we need to talk."_

_He grew silent. "That's never good…"_

_"No. It's not."_

_"Well I get off work in two hours, can it wait? I can get out right now if I need to…"_

_"I'd get out now," she said gripping the phone and staring at a piece of paper._

_"Are you ok Angela?" he asked sounding concerned. _

_"Just…get home," she said as she hung up the phone._

_Twenty minutes later she was sitting at the kitchen table when he walked in with an anxious look about him._

_"What's going on?" he sat down at the table across from her._

_"Why don't you tell me?" she said quietly as she gently pushed two pieces of paper across the table at him._

_He looked at them and his eyes grew wide. "Where the hell did you get these from?"_

_"Did you honestly think I wasn't going to find out?" her voice wavered._

_"Do you really think that whoever told you this is telling you the truth?" Anger seeped into his voice but his eyes conveyed the message that he was more hurt that she would believe this._

_"You're name is on the ultrasound paper!!" _

_He looked at it again and took a deep breath. "Angela, who did you get these from?"_

_She stared at him for a second before answering. "Katherine. I bumped into her today."_

_"Katherine, of course," he rolled his eyes. "Baby, you know she's been after me since we broke up three years ago. Remember when we took that break and we both tried dating other people? Well after three months when I broke it off with her…she didn't leave me alone. And she never has!"_

_"But you got her pregnant Shawn!!"_

_"Why are you believing this!?" he shouted back._

_She picked up the ultrasound paper and waved it around in his face._

_"Did you see a kid there Angela? Because it'd be a little late to just show you a paper," he snapped._

_She reeled back at that. "Why would she make something like this up Shawn? She has no reason to," she said quietly._

_"Oh yes she does. She's deranged," he said matter of factly._

_She just stood there and looked at him for a second before sighing. "I can't do this," she mumbled._

_"Good! Then throw that piece of trash away and let's just move on with things," he said as he crossed to her and went to put his arms around her as she shrugged him off._

_"I mean I can't do us," she said not looking at him as she walked away._

_As she walked away, he dropped the piece of paper as though in shock. Granted he knew she was pissed but this…this was just…unreal. The fact that she would believe this lie and then throw this one at him. His mouth dropped open as he stood rooted to the spot as though waiting for her to come back but she never did. She just walked out and when he returned later that night, her things were gone. And that was the end._

* * *

Angela was laughing at something John had said when she looked up to see the one person she didn't want to see staring at her as though he was looking at a ghost and she froze as well. 


	5. Downward spiral

Chapter 5- Downward Spiral

"Oh my God!" a squeal came from behind Shawn and he winced as it broke his trance.

Topanga shot past him and swept up Angela in bone crushing hug as the girl laughed and hugged her back.

"I can't breath!" she laughed.

"Where have you been?!" Topanga asked as she let the girl go and sat down next to her.

A shrug was the response she got and the smile started to fall off her face.

"Come on Ange, you totally disappeared! Where the hell did you go?" she asked quietly.

Angela opened her mouth but shut it again as Cory walked up with Shawn behind him and Topanga understood everything. Angela left to get away from Shawn. She had no idea what happened all those years ago, all she knew was that Angela left her friend and then ran away leaving her to help pick up the pieces of their shattered relationship. She never understood what happened there and she was bitter for a time. But perhaps…she didn't get the full story. A piece just fell into place as Angela refused to look at Shawn and looked anxious for a place to get away. Topanga made a mental note of all this to be spoken about later but let it slide for the moment, not wanting to dredge up old wounds in front of everyone at a party.

"I'm sorry have we met?" Cory joked as he held out his hand.

Angela pointedly refused to meet Shawn's gaze and instead turned her shiny eyes on Cory who was wearing a grin and she stood up and gave him a huge hug to which he was unprepared for and he faltered a little bit.

"Woah…" he said softly in her ear.

She gave a soft sniff and then blinked a few times before pulling back and it appeared as though nothing was wrong with her at all.

"It's been way too long Cory," she smiled warmly.

His eyes were full of confusion but Topanga shook her head and he kept his mouth closed. Times like this was when Topanga saved him from making something worse usually.

"Angela," a voice came quietly from behind Cory.

She flitted her gaze to him and a wall appeared on her face. "Shawn," she said before turning to John who was standing.

"I want you all to meet John, my boyfriend," she grinned.

He held out his hand and kissed Topanga warmly on the cheek and sat down and started to talk to Cory a little bit as Topanga pulled her old friend away.

"Alright, Readers Digest, go."

Angela closed her eyes and sighed. "I left Shawn and you all never knew why. I stayed away because I didn't want to come back to see all the memories and feel what I used to feel. It was easier to stay gone."

"Why did you?"

Angela shook her head. "Not now."

Topanga put a hand on her friends shoulder and smiled softly. "You're gonna be ok Angela. Whatever is, you'll be fine. I know it."

"And that's what I've missed most," she replied giving the girl a hug.

* * *

"Alright I know you went to high school with Angela," John started with a gleam in his eyes. "I want all the dirty embarrassing stories."

Cory just laughed a heartfelt laugh. "Oh man I wish I could say I knew some! She was always the good one of us though. No real stories to tell unfortunately," he shrugged.

"She paid you to say that didn't she?" John returned as he sipped some of his beer.

"Paid who to say what?" Angela asked as she returned back to her circle of friends and sat down next to John.

"There are no embarrassing stories about you. That has to be a lie."

Angela just shrugged as she grinned and played with her hair. "I can't help it if I was the angel of the group," she remarked as everyone groaned.

* * *

"Do you love Uncle Shawn?"

Morgan looked up from her plate of pizza to stare at her niece. "What?"

The seven year old looked at her quizzically. "Well do you?"

"What are you talking about Abby?" she laughed slightly.

"Well he was here when I came over. And you had that look on your face that Mommy says I have when I get caught doing something wrong."

Morgan closed her eyes and willed herself not to smile at the analogy. "I've known your uncle for years sweetheart."

"So has Mommy. But she never looks like that," she pointed out as she picked the pepperoni off the slice of pizza and ate it.

"You are too young to be asking these questions," Morgan said as she dodged the question.

"Well I think you do," she sung out as she peeled the cheese off her pizza.

Morgan watched her niece and made a face. "You eat your food wierd you know that?"

* * *

The young blonde man stared at Shawn, who was laughing at something Cory said, with slit eyes. This was the man that caused his girlfriend pain and kept sending her those letters. Telling her that he still loved her. Well that was over now, she had him. As far as John was concerned, that was all she needed. Oh he saw the way that Shawn's eyes flitted over to Angela about twenty times in a minute and how he tried to sit next to her. He didn't know this man from Adam…but he didn't like him. And that was that.

"And this is Abby," Topanga said as she pulled a little picture out of her wallet and showed it to Angela.

"Oh my God she looks just like…well both of you," she laughed a little bit.

"Hopefully she'll look more like Topanga than Cory. That poor girls life would just go down the drain then," a deep voice said from behind the group.

The girl jumped and turned around to see Eric standing there grinning at her.

"Eric?" she asked while cocking her head.

"As much as I hate to claim him as family…yes it's him," Cory muttered as Topanga lightly slapped his thigh.

"Thank you Topanga," Eric directed at her while giving his brother a dirty look.

"Wow…you look…"

"Different," Shawn threw in as he looked at Eric with the same wide eyes as Angela.

"I work at the school now," he said casually as he sat down at the table next to John.

"Wait…where?"

"Ha ha Hunter."

"Seriously Eric, Mom and Dad used to have to push you out of the house to go there!" Shawn piped up again.

"Things change," he shrugged. "Hey I'm Eric," he said as he turned to John who had his arm on the back of Angela's chair.

"John," he said shaking his hand. "I'm Angela's boyfriend."

Eric leaned close and took a deep breath. "Make her cry and I can coerce my girls gym class to fuck you up," he joked.

"Well that would be horrifying," John nodded as he laughed.

"Smart man, smart man."

"Can we go back to you working at a school?" Shawn spoke again.

Eric rolled his eyes. "I'm the P.E. teacher."

"I'm sorry the what?"

Eric glared at him and Shawn just grinned. "Those high school girls just kept at ya huh? High five," he said as he held his hand up.

Topanga looked from Eric to Shawn and slapped Shawn upside his head. "You sound like him you know that?" she pointed at the elder Matthews brother.

"Is that compliment?" Eric asked cocking his head. "And I needed money Shawn. I figured I'd get hired here because, hello, Feeny and they needed a gym teacher. I figured I'd play a little dodgeball and some baseball with some kids and get paid for it. Wasn't exactly that easy but hey, I love it," he shrugged.

"What did you do with the real Eric Matthews?" Shawn slit his eyes in suspicion.

"Oh I killed him," Topanga cut in nonchalantly and Shawn stared at her.

"Why don't I doubt that…" he looked at Cory who just shrugged.

* * *

Shawn leaned against the bar and checked his phone for what seemed like the third time in a half hour when John came up beside him.

"Hey," Shawn nodded at him. "Interesting place to say the least huh?"

He nodded silently for a minute and then made the decision that it was time to take the gloves off.

"I know who you are," he said quietly.

"Excuse me?"

"I know who you are. Writing Ange all those letters, calling in the middle of the night…"

Shawn blushed. "That was…years ago man. I'm sorry."

"Years ago? Really? The letter that I saw was dated three months ago," he said as he ordered a beer.

The other man just sighed and was silent, unsure of what to say. He knew that John was right, hell he had sent the letter himself! He just never expected this guy to have the balls to say anything about it.

"Look it's in the past, I'm sorry for disrupting her life and all that. Things have changed…"

"Good. They better have because as far as I'm concerned, that girl is my wife. And if you fuck things up for me, it won't be pretty."

"You're gonna propose to her?" Shawn said softly, slightly wounded on the inside.

He sipped his beer and nodded, not giving out anymore information to the man he knew didn't deserve any in the first place.

"Well I'm out of the picture. She doesn't want to talk to me, doesn't want to look at me…trust me, I'm gone."

"Yeah well you better make sure that you stay gone. I had to hear for a week about how she thought you were going to be here and didn't want to see you at all. I don't know what you did to her, but stay away from her. Whatever you guys had, is over," he said as he walked away.

"I'm well aware," Shawn whispered to himself as he sat down next to Angela and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Morgan Matthews was like his sister and that kiss that had happened today…followed by that awesome make out session, that was a mistake. He couldn't be with her. The only girl he did want to be with, was sitting next to the man of her dreams and could care less if he dropped dead at that exact moment in time. He sighed as he finished his drink and got up. He needed air…a lot of air.

* * *

"Hello?"

"Morgan, we need to talk," Shawn said wearily. He knew he had to cut whatever cord he had with Morgan as soon as possible…and before Eric and Cory found out.

"Hey you," she smiled. "Aren't you supposed to be at the reunion with everyone?"

"Yeah…I am. I'm outside. I just needed some air."

"Ok…"

"I was thinking Morg, I mean what happened today…that was a mistake. You're like my little sister and your brothers would literally kill me if they knew that I kissed you."

Morgan grew quiet as tears started to form in her eyes. "You know I thought that you would grow up Shawn but you really haven't. You're still the same asshole you were when you were thirteen!" she said loudly and he winced as he held the phone away from his ear. He knew that he deserved the yelling, he just didn't think it would make him feel so bad.

"Morgan, I'm sorry!" he said loudly to be heard over her.

"Yeah, you are. You're a sorry pathetic man Hunter. I should have known it would end up like this, you can't change," she snapped as she hung up the phone.

"Morgan!" he sighed as he heard her hang up the phone. "Fuck!" he yelled as he turned around.

"What did you do?" Topanga asked softly from the stairs.


	6. Every new beginning

Chapter 6- "Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end…"

"Here," a little voice said as a pint of Ben and Jerry's appeared on the counter with two spoons.

"Abby, what are you doing?" she asked wearily.

"When Mommy and Daddy fight, Mommy always eats ice cream to feel better. It can make you feel better too!" she smiled.

Morgan smiled back in spite of herself and found a spoon in her hand. "Well it can't hurt to try right?"

"I told you so, by the way."

"Told me what munchkin?"

"That you loved Uncle Shawn," she said smugly.

Morgan sighed and ate another spoonful of ice cream. "I didn't love him Abby. I just liked him…a lot."

"Doesn't he like you back?"

"I don't think so," she said softly.

"Well then he's dumb."

She laughed. "Why's that?"

"Because you're the best aunt in the world!" she smiled, chocolate stuck between her teeth. "And you're funny. When I like a boy, I always make sure they're funny," she nodded.

Morgan scooped the little girl into her arms. "You are too good you know that?"

"I know," she nodded and Morgan just laughed again.

* * *

"Oh Shawn," Topanga said softly as she sat beside him on the stairs outside.

"I know," he groaned. "I shouldn't have done it in the first place."

"No you moron, she's liked you since she was seventeen!"

"No she didn't. She hated me when she was seventeen; trust me she told me multiple times," he rolled his eyes and Topanga just stared at him. "Damn it!" he suddenly yelled. "I am so dumb…"

"Yes, yes you are. So you just told her it was a mistake?"

He nodded without saying anything and she sighed.

"Do you like her?" she finally asked.

"No. Yes. I…don't know. I mean I've never looked at her in this way you know? But kissing her today just felt normal, it was weird. And I can't talk to Cory about it because him and Eric will probably murder me…"

"Well it sounds to me like you like her."

"Yeah," he groaned after a minute. "I mean she's not allowed to…look like she does either!"

"She's twenty four Shawn."

"No!"

Topanga laughed and leaned her head against his shoulder. "So what are you going to do?"

"I have no idea. She probably hates me."

"She's babysitting Abby and if I know my daughter, she has Morgan already eating ice cream."

"What?" he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Whenever I'm unhappy or me and Cory fight, she sees me eat that. I bet you ten bucks she gave Morgan ice cream."

"And what does that mean?"

"That's she'll relax and possibly rethink things. Give it some time. She's good for you Shawn, don't just throw this away," she said as she slowly got up.

Shawn watched her carefully and helped her the last few feet.

"Does Cory know?" he asked lowly.

"How would he? You just told me…" she gave him a confused look.

"I mean that you're pregnant."

She stared at him. "What?"

"I remember when you were pregnant with Abby, Topanga. You carry yourself the same way. Plus…you did look like you put on a little weight," he joked and she hit him on the arm.

"No, Cory does not know. I plan on telling him tonight though."

"Why tonight?"

"Because I was going to kill two birds with one stone," she smiled at her brother in law and he hugged her.

"Well I'm happy for you," he said softly and she hugged him back.

"Thanks Shawn." She pulled back. "Fix things with Morgan so I can see you be happy too. You deserve it you know. You haven't even talked about a girl since Angela," she said as they walked back inside.

He rolled his eyes. "Thanks for that old wound."

"What happened with that anyway?"

He sighed. "Remember when we broke up for a little bit and I tried dating that girl Katherine?"

"Wasn't she the crazy girl?"

"Oh yeah. Crazy and then some," he nodded. "Well after me and Angela got back together, she bumped into her at the store like years down the road. In the beginning Katherine would try to get back with me by doing stupid shit but this time…this time she told Angela that I had a kid with her and never told her. And that was it. She packed up her stuff and left that day."

"So you cheated on her?"

"NO," he said emphatically. "Never. This broad was three sheets to the wind fucked up Topanga. She said that she had a kid with me but the last time I talked to her was like three years before that. The only way she could have been telling the truth is if a kid was standing next to her. And we never had sex anyway," he revealed.

"And then she ran away," Topanga surmised softly and Shawn nodded.

"She thought I cheated on her. Hasn't talked to me at all; won't take my calls or return my letters."

"Well can you blame her Shawn? I mean she thought you had a kid with another woman!" she said softly as they neared the table.

"And now she's with this…guy-"

"Shawn, don't do this. Don't sit here and ruin the night for yourself. She is gone ok? Besides, I believe you just told me that you happen to like my sister?" she cocked her head.

"But Angela-"

"Doesn't matter anymore Shawn. Let it go," she whispered as she sat down.

"Should I be jealous?" Cory asked as he witnessed the hushed conversation.

"Oh yeah. We were talking about taking off to Maui together," Shawn said as he rolled his eyes.

"Actually Cory, I have something to tell you," Topanga said softly. "Something to tell all of you," she said louder.

"Oh do tell," Angela said as she leaned forward.

"I'm…pregnant," she said and watched the other people at the table.

"What?" Cory whispered.

She nodded. "I found out a few days ago. Your sister is the only one that knew before now."

"We're going to have another baby?"

She nodded smiling and he whooped as he picked her up and swung her around.

"Topanga that's amazing!!" Angela smiled as she got up to hug her.

"Excuse me!" a voice boomed. "I'm sure you all remember my sister in law, Topanga Matthews and well…she's pregnant guys!" Eric yelled out and the room erupted in cheers.

"What is he doing?" she yelled over the noise to Cory.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just a bit…over the top don't you think?" she asked turning red.

"Oh let him have his fun," Angela waved her off.

"Umm Topanga?" a voice said from behind.

She turned to see a tall man with short blond hair standing right behind her.

"Hi…"

"I just wanted to congratulate you in person," he said as he stuck out his hand.

"Do we know you?" Cory asked amicably as he stood up.

The man just laughed. "Minkus…"

"Are you shitting me?!" Shawn yelled as he jumped up. "Minkus as in red glasses, suspenders, always at the library Minkus?"

"Yeah, something like that," he smiled. "You all look exactly the same."

"Well…I wish I could say the same but wow. You look good Stewart!" Topanga said warmly as she hugged him.

What she said was true, he had completely changed. His blond hair that he used to wear longer was now cropped close to his head and it was evident that he was more toned than when they knew him in high school, not to mention the red glasses were replaced by contacts.

"So what do you do now?"

"I actually work for Microsoft," he smiled.

"You were always smart like that. Oh I'm so happy for you!" she exclaimed.

"Well I just came by to congratulate you, my wife is waiting over there so…"

"And you're married?!"

"Seven years," he smiled as he clapped Shawn on the back. "Congratulations again guys," he said as he walked away.

"That's not Minkus," Shawn said instantly.

"Shawn-"

"No it's not Topanga. He might have the computer answer done, but come one. Did you see him?? There's no way."

"Believe it not Shawn, people do change you know," Angela put in, speaking directly to him for the first time that night.

He turned, shocked for a minute. " Yeah, I know," he answered softly.

* * *

"Don't give me that crap about your mother letting you stay up later," Morgan warned as Abby wandered into the living room with a little smile on her face.

"I wasn't…"

"Yeah, ok. What's up?"

"If you and Uncle Shawn go out, does that mean he's not leaving anymore?"

Morgan caught her breath. "Abs…" she sighed as the little girl just looked at her. "I don't think it works like that honey. And we're not going out!"

"Yet. But you will."

"Bed."

"Fine. But you'll see that I'm right," she sang out as she walked down the hall to her own bedroom that Morgan set up for her when she was little.

Morgan rolled her eyes as he niece danced down the hallway. She couldn't believe that she was really that transparent that a seven year old saw through her act. Beyond that, she couldn't believe that she fell for Shawn's crap! Of course he didn't change; leopards can't change their spots. Well that was that, Shawn Hunter was yesterdays news for Morgan Matthews. As she got up to put the ice cream away she was intent on closing the chapter on him that she had left open for so many years, but then she remembered their conversations, how he looked at her and damn it how good of a kisser he was.

"Fuck!" she muttered as she banged her head against the freezer.

* * *

"Do you ever think about having a baby?"

Angela froze and turned to look at John. "Baby we are not even married! And we're too young anyway," she said shrugging.

"But have you ever thought about it?"

She sighed. "Yes. Why?"

Now it was John who shrugged. "Just wondering."

"Oh no, I don't think so. Why?"

"Well…with me?"

Angela's eyes flew open. "What?" she whispered. "John, are you saying…are you saying you want to have a baby?"

He smiled a little bit and blushed and tears sprang to her eyes. "Oh my God…" was all she could get out. No other man had ever told her that they wanted to have a baby with her before, not even Shawn; that was a topic they didn't get around to talking about.

"Well there might be something we have to do before we have a baby of course…"

She smacked him on the arm. "If you start talking all dirty right here and now…." She warned him lowly with a grin on her face.

"Actually, I was going to say something else. I was going to ask you to marry me," he said as he pulled out the engagement ring he had shown Shawn earlier.

"Oh. My. God," she whispered. "You're…you're serious?"

"I've never wanted anything more in my life baby," he said as he looked in her eyes.

Tears started to flow as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around him. "Yes!! Yes!"

"Wait, wait!" Eric jumped in. "My brothers having another baby, you guys are engaged…what the hell?! Where's my happy ending?" he pouted.

"Hey it's alright, we can be alone together," Shawn spoke up as he slung an arm around his brothers shoulder. "To Angela and John," he said as he lifted up his beer bottle. "I wish you guys the best," he said sincerely as he made eye contact with his ex fiancé and she smiled at him finally as she mouthed a thank you.


	7. The story of a man who avoided things

Chapter 7- The story of a man who avoided things

Everything has a time, a place and a reason. Every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. Whatever's meant to be, will be.

"Ugh," Shawn Hunter said in disgust.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Eric raised an eyebrow at the man.

He shook his head. "You know all those bullshit clichés? Like what doesn't kill you makes you stronger?"

"I don't believe in those," Eric said rolling his eyes. "What doesn't kill you makes you suicidal," he joked.

Shawn snorted. "All that crap isn't true. Nothing is," he muttered.

"You wanna tell me what's really going on here?"

"It's just…I'm happy for her, I really am. But I mean she doesn't even know about our past! She doesn't know the real story!"

"Angela," Eric surmised as he sighed. "Look from what I understand, you told her the truth all those years ago and she still walked away. What makes you think now would be different?"

"Because we're all grown up now. Things are different."

"Exactly, they are different. Look at her Shawn, she's smiling so much I'm waiting for her face to crack in half. Do you really want to be the one to bring up old wounds?"

"She needs to know Eric," he said stubbornly.

"If you tell her Shawn Hunter I will hurt you," Topanga spoke up from behind them. "She is so happy! If you ruin that and make her hurt again…." She let the silent threat just stand there and Shawn put his head in his hands.

"Well what do I do then?"

"Nothing. Just let it be. Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be," she quoted.

"That's another bullshit one," Shawn pointed out but Eric just shrugged.

"Just don't do it. We've all grown and changed. You have to let go of the past Shawn," she said quietly.

"It's not that easy," he mumbled.

"Was it that easy this afternoon when you kissed-"

"Fine!" he said loudly glancing at Eric to see what he had heard. "I get it."

"I thought you would," she said as she walked away.

"Who'd you kiss?" Eric asked.

Shawn shrugged, trying to play it off. "Just…some chick. You wouldn't know her."

"Well if she has any sisters…" he nudged Shawn with a grin on his face and Shawn turned red.

* * *

George Feeny sat at the bar and smiled as he fiddled with his soda. He had long ago given up alcohol, especially when his health problems started up. The truth of the matter was that he was old. He had been fooling himself by not giving up his career, even when his wife, who used to be a dean at a college for Christ's sake, urged him too. If he stopped working, he'd be giving up; he never wanted to be one of those old men that just puttered around the house during the day, he wanted to have a purpose. In fact part of his purpose was sitting a few tables away. The group of adults that he had known almost their whole lives, they were part of his purpose. He had seen them grow up and had been more than just a teacher to them, or at least he liked to think so. Whenever his job got too hard, he pulled out photos or letters that they send him and he remembers why he's still doing what he does. No George Feeny was no quitter, that was for certain. Although this reunion wasn't really his style, he wanted to come so he could see what all his students turned out to be. The biggest surprise of the night, besides Stewart Minkus that is, was Frankie Stechino. The young man that used to cause him so much trouble had opened up a youth shelter after coming to terms with his own family problems growing up. When the superlative for changed the most, or whatever the dumb title would be, Frankie would definitely win. His gaze for the moment however, was centered on a certain young woman who was glowing with smiles.

"Mrs. Matthews," he said quietly from behind her.

"Mr. Feeny!" she laughed as she turned around and gave him a hug.

"I believe a congratulations would be in order, yes?" he raised his eyebrow in typical George Feeny fashion.

She put a hand to her stomach and smiled. "I just found a few days ago," she smiled.

"Well I do wish you luck. Abigail turned out to be a fine picture of you, so this next one will probably be somewhat like your husband. Good luck," he said in a joking fashion as he laid a hand on her shoulder.

"What does that mean?" Cory asked as he came to stand beside his wife.

"What does what mean?"

"What you just said!"

"I didn't say anything…" George smiled a coy smiled as he took his hand off Topanga.

The smile was wiped off his face as a sudden pain erupted in his chest and he stumbled for a moment as the young couple caught him.

"Mr. Feeny?" Cory asked lowly, as to not attract attention. "George?"

He latched onto Cory's arm as his knees started to buckle and Topanga finally realized what was going on.

"Cory he's having a heart attack! Give me your phone."

"It's in my pocket," he said as he nodded towards his pocket where Feeny was covering.

"George? What's going on?" Eric asked as he jumped up to help.

"Eric, call an ambulance, he's having a heart attack," Cory jumped in and now Shawn jumped up as well.

"He's what?"

"Ok give him room so he can lie down guys," Topanga was saying to the group that was starting to gather around.

"They're on their way," Eric said as he held the phone to his ear. "Yes he's still breathing…"

* * *

"What?" Morgan snapped as she picked up the phone. After he tells her that it was mistake to kiss her, what the hell did Shawn Hunter want with her? She shouldn't give him the time of day, she knew that full well, but something inside herself told her to pick up the phone.

"Morgan? It's Feeny," Shawn said in a rush. "Something happened, we're going to Clair Memorial."

"Clair Memorial? The hospital?" she asked a second later, as it registered in her head what he had said. "What happened, what is it?"

"I can't talk now, just meet us there," he said as he hung up.

"Shawn!" she yelled.

She put down the phone and thought for a second. George Feeny was like family to the Matthews, but did she want to subject her niece to a hospital so she could see him lying helpless in a hospital bed? Or would Morgan just hate herself for not being there when she should have been?

"Abs," Morgan said as she shook the sleeping girl awake. "Wake up, we gotta go."

"Where?" she asked as she opened one eye.

"The hospital, something happened to Uncle George."

At that the little girl sat straight up. The old man could be bitter yes, but she loved him more than anything and Morgan knew that he felt the same for her. She was the only one allowed to call him Uncle George after all…

* * *

"I…I need to call my sister," Cory fumbled with his phone.

"I already took care of that. Sit down," Shawn ordered as Topanga sighed. The group had been sitting in the hospital for a half hour already and Cory had spoken at least every 10 minutes about needing to do something that had already been done. Shawn sighed and closed his eyes as he leaned back in the hard chair. He hated hospitals; they just brought back memories of his dad and he tried to avoid them at all costs but he knew that he would never be able to forgive himself if he didn't go here. Feeny was the one man, well besides Jon that is, that helped to Shawn on the road he needed to be. Hell, Feeny was more his role model than his own father was!

A flurry of voices at the end of the hall caught their attention and a group of people flooded into the room. First came Jack with Rachel, who was sobbing her eyes out. Rachel hadn't been especially close to the man but she was around enough to know that this was important. Jack had his arm around her and was trying to calm her down as they finally sat down. The pair had married about 4 years earlier and Shawn grew so tired of volleying calls between a hurt Eric and an annoyed Jack that he had shut off his phone. The brothers weren't exactly as close as they used to be, a bi weekly phone call or two usually punctuated a month of non visits and they called it even.

On Jack's heels came the girl he was waiting for. "Morgan!" Cory cried out as he stood up and Morgan flung herself…onto Shawn.

"What happened?" she asked into his shoulder.

"He had a heart attack, he's been there for about a half hour or so," he said as he hugged her back tightly. "Look Morgan, about earlier…"

"Shut up Shawn. Just…shut up," she sighed as she pulled away from him.

"I just want to say that I didn't mean it! I mean I did at the time but then I thought about it-"

She reached up and clamped a hand over his mouth. "I said to shut up," she muttered as her eyes sparkled. "And I know," she said softer and he relaxed.

Cory watched the exchanged with a curious look on his face and was about to say something but Topanga nudged him in the ribs and he sat back down and tried to divert his attention from his little sister and his best friend to his daughter that was sitting on his wife's lap.

"How long does it take them to take care of a stupid heart attack?" he mumbled.

"He might need surgery Cory, we don't know what's going on back there," Angela pointed out and Topanga nodded.

"So you guys want to tell me what's going on here?" Topanga said lowly to Shawn and Morgan an hour or so later.

"What?"

The older woman nodded her head towards her husband and her brother in law, sitting side by side, letting glances go in their direction. "I'm going to kill one of them soon so give me something to say," she threatened.

"I thought about you said tonight and you were right," Shawn said. "Things have changed and people move on."

"And after he was done drooling over his ex all night," Morgan started and Shawn grew red. "He realized that a good thing was sitting next to him the whole time," she said softly as she linked her arm with Shawn's.

"Ok so are you two like going out…?"

They looked at each other and shrugged and Topanga just sighed. "Thank you, really."

"Cory and Eric would kill me anyway," Shawn pointed and Morgan snorted.

"No they wouldn't. Not if I batted my eyelashes and said you make me happy," she said sweetly.

"Does that work?" Shawn asked as he turned to her.

"Well you can find out," Topanga said as the two brothers approached.

"What's going on?" Eric folded his arms.

"What?" Morgan said smugly.

"What the hell are you two doing together?!"

"Enjoying each others company. Is that suddenly a crime?" Morgan raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you all red?" Cory asked accusingly to Shawn who slunk down in his seat.

Morgan just sighed. Apparently Shawn wasn't going to man up, so she would have to play it cool for the both of them.

"I caught him oogling Angela, what else is new? Is there a reason why the two of you are like…hovering?" she asked in a bored tone.

"Wait…nothing?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "What do you want me to say?"

"Nothing?" Cory asked again.

"Are you deaf? She said nothing," Eric said grinning as he held out his hand.

"What is that? What are you two doing?" Topanga asked from her seat.

"I bet him that nothing was going on between them and he didn't believe me. So now your dear husband owes me twenty five bucks," Eric said as he slapped Cory on the back.

"Glad I could assist," Morgan laughed as Cory took money out of his wallet mumbling under his breath the entire time.

The two brothers walked away and Morgan turned her glare on Shawn.

"What?!"

"Do you like me?" she deadpanned.

"What?"

"Do you like me?"

"Yes!"

"Enough to be with me?"

He faltered for a second but then looked into her eyes. "Yes," he said softly.

"Then do something about it," she snapped as she got up and walked away.


	8. I shall believe

a/n: i'm sorry that it took me like forever, literally, until i posted this. i started going through my fics and realized that i still had an ending to this that i wanted so here it is...the final chapter of "keep holding on". i own nothing, and if i did...the show would have kept on going or we would have had our reunion special by now!! oh and the song is from sheryl crow :)

* * *

Chapter 8- I shall believe

_"You are not their family George, you can't just make decisions like that!"_

_George Feeny turned and looked stubbornly at his wife. "Oh yes I can."_

_"If he said he wasn't going to college then he's not going to go. Plenty of people choose to work George, there's nothing wrong with that."_

_"I know that Lila. However, I happen to know Shawn extremely well and it would not benefit him at all to forgo this. He is going, even if I have to drag him there myself," Mr. Feeny said as he spun around and walked out of the Matthews kitchen, which he was always in for some reason._

_"You can come out now," Cory called as he sat at the table eating a pile of cookies._

_"I'm not going Cory."_

_"Tell that to George," he nodded towards the door._

_"You know what, I think I will."_

_"Yeah ok. Good luck with that," Cory snorted into his glass of milk._

_"I mean it! I'm not going."_

_Cory gave his friend a weird look. "Ok Shawn, I heard you…"_

_"I enrolled in the Army today," he said smugly and Cory almost dropped his milk._

_"I'm sorry, can you repeat that? I thought my best friend just said he joined the Army!"_

_Shawn leaned against the wall and grinned. "Yeah, I did. Let's face it Cor, I'm not cut out for college. I wasn't even cut out for high school!"_

_"The Army!?"_

_"Will you stop saying that like it's a bad thing?" Shawn scowled._

_"Well what do you want me to do? Yay, Shawn's joined the Army?" he asked as he skipped around in a little circle, waving his hands around wildly._

_"Mooom! Cory's finally gone over the edge!" Morgan's voice came from the door as she flung it open._

_"Hey Morg, can I tell you a secret?"_

_The girl crossed her arms and glared at the two boys. "What?"_

_"You were totally adopted," Cory said raising an eyebrow._

_"You said that two weeks ago," she rolled her eyes as she walked into the living room._

_"It hasn't changed!!"_

_"What's going on?"_

_"Tell Mom what you did," Cory said as he stood back up._

_Amy Matthews put a hand to her ears. "Do I want to hear this boys?"_

_"I joined the Army."_

_She blinked as she dropped her hands. "Well Shawn that's great!" she smiled at him._

_"Great? Mom, did you hear him? No school. He's going to go fight overseas and get killed!"_

_"Ok first off, you don't know that. Second off, why am I getting killed already?"_

_"Honey, he can still go to school. The government would pay for him to go when he's not on duty."_

_"I'm still not going," Shawn said as Cory's face started to lighten up._

_"He's not going."_

_"Not going where Mr. Matthews?" Mr. Feeny asked the next day as he watered his plants outside._

_"Shawn. He joined the army so he wouldn't have to go to school."_

_At that, George's head popped back up. "They're giving him a gun so he'll stay out of school."_

_"Well not ex-"_

_"You and I both know Cory that Shawn would not do well for himself without school."_

_"We don't actually. He could do fine…"_

_"No. Simply won't. He's going, even if I have to pay for it myself he's going," George said as he straightened up and went inside._

_"What the hell was that?" Shawn asked quietly from the door._

_"Shawn come on, he was going to find out."_

_"Are you two like planning on strapping me down and making me go or what?"_

_Cory sighed. "Listen, what are you going to do when you come home from wherever you're at?"_

_"Be in the army," Shawn replied in a duh voice._

_"It's not that easy. I've heard all sorts of stories about people that come home and they get totally screwed over trying to find jobs because all they know is how to fight. I don't want that for you Shawny…"_

_"Come on Cor, that won't be me."_

_"Then just wait. Wait those two or four years and get a degree of some sort," He said quietly and Shawn just looked at him._

_"Does it really mean that much to you?"_

_"Yes. Yes it does."_

_Shawn sighed. "Fine, I'll think about it."

* * *

  
_

"You know Feeny was one of the reasons I got through college," Shawn said softly. "He found me a good school, helped me pay for it…"

"He did a lot for us all Shawn," Eric said softly as he put a hand on his shoulder.

"He got me my job," he shrugged. "He knew I was having a hard time so he told me to look at it and the next thing I knew I was teaching P.E. I think he knew the entire time what he was doing though," he laughed.

"You know, he was more my father than my real father was," Topanga said quietly. "My dad was never around really. But Mr. Feeny was always there, no matter what. He took care of me," she whispered as a tear slid from her eye and Cory wrapped an arm around her.

"Ok, this needs to stop," Morgan said as she shook her head. "He's not dead, we shouldn't be treating him this way."

Topanga sniffed and nodded. "She's right."

"I know I am," she nodded. "Should I call Mom and Dad?" she asked Cory.

"Where are they?"

"New York City," Eric and Morgan answered.

"I doubt they'd get here in time," Eric said. "We'll call them later in case…" he trailed off, letting the thought stand open in the air. The thought that they were all afraid of, but all thinking.

"Nothing's going to happen," Shawn said fiercely to Morgan who was starting to shake a little bit.

"You can't promise me that," she said softly as she sat down.

"Shawn," Cory called to his friend. "Talk a minute?"

"What?"

"You wanna explain to me what's going on with you and my little sister?" he crossed his arms as Shawn blushed.

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you thing I'm that dumb Shawny? When I dropped Abby off you were there acting like you did something wrong and now she won't even let go of you."

Shawn sighed and leaned back against the wall, his gaze traveling to Morgan who was talking to Rachel and Topanga.

"And you keep looking at her like that."

"Like what?" he asked defensively.

"Do you love her?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew the answer, he had realized it after Topanga knocked the sense back into him.

"Because if you don't and you're just playing those games that you play, I don't have a problem hurting you Shawn," Eric spoke up from behind him.

"What is this? Am I being double teamed here??"

"Just answer it."

"I feel like I should have a lawyer present, Jesus," he muttered. "And…yes. I do."

Eric's face broke out in a smile and he clapped him on the back. "Well you know what happens if you break her heart," he threatened as he walked away.

"Cor-"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Cory asked in a harsh tone.

"Excuse me?"

"You think you can just come back from Iraq and play house with my sister? You think you can just lead her on and say that you love her and all that shit?"

"You know it's not like that Cory," Shawn said softly, a little hurt that his own best friend didn't trust him enough with his sister.

"Really? It's not? Because that's what it's been like with every other girl Shawn."

"She's not just another girl Cory!" Shawn defended himself, his voice rising a little bit and Morgan's head perked up.

"Yeah, I'm aware. Are you?" he retorted as he stalked away from him.

* * *

Morgan sat with his sister in law and her friend and tried to focus on the conversation around her but all she could see out of the corner of her eye was Cory getting angry at Shawn. Apparently Shawn finally manned up and came clean about the fact that he kissed her, about time.

"This is so typical," Angela muttered as she sat down.

Morgan remembered the woman from high school but knowing of her past with Shawn, it made her have a strong taste of dislike in her mouth tonight.

"What?"

"Shawn! Look at him; fighting about some girl when Mr. Feeny's quite possibly dying in the other room. I swear he doesn't think about anyone but himself."

"Well it sounds like someone might still be hung up on him," Morgan remarked quietly and Angela swung her head in her direction.

"What was that?"

"I said it sounds like you're not over him," she said in a clearer voice. "I mean your boyfriend just proposed to you and you're mad at your ex boyfriend from high school for talking about a girl? Come on," she snorted.

"Well I'm sorry that you don't have the experience with him, or boyfriends in general, to understand where I'm coming from then," Angela snapped back at her.

"You have experience with him? Why because you dated him? He lived with me since middle school Angela. That boy is so much more than what you give him credit for!"

Angela smirked. "It sounds like someone has a crush," she laughed and Topanga sighed.

"Alright guys, come on. This isn't the time or the place for this. If you have to act like you're ten, do it outside or something."

"Ahem."

The entire group turned towards a man in a white coat standing in the doorway.

"Are all of you here for Mr. Feeny?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

Topanga and Morgan stood up while Cory forgot about his fight with Shawn and stood silently next to him.

"What…what happened? Is he ok?" Shawn asked quietly, closing his eyes and fearing the worst. This is how his father died and damn it if he lost George this way too, he was pretty sure that his faith in the world would be lost.

"He's unconscious but yes, he'll be ok. How many of these has he had recently?"

Eric shrugged. "Maybe about three in the last fifteen years," he spoke up.

The doctor nodded. "I was thinking that he's had multiple ones before. I'd like to keep an eye on him for now but you can go and visit him if you'd like," he said as he smiled and walked away.

The large group of people just stood there, unsure of what to do. The entire weight had just been lifted off their shoulders but it was hanging awkwardly in the air. How were they supposed to react? Were they supposed to be smiling and laughing with joy or slumped over in a chair with thanks?

Morgan found her way to the person she wanted and with tears streaming down her face, leaned against him as he wrapped an arm around her, ignoring Cory's watchful gaze.

"He's ok," she repeated the doctor, more for herself than for others to hear.

"I promised you," he whispered as he enveloped her in a hug.

"Ok, that's too corny," Eric spoke from next to them.

"Eric, go away before I beat you," Morgan said without lifting her head from Shawn's shoulder.

"I'm just saying, there are better lines that could be said," he replied with a shrug. "Besides, I'm the big brother; who else is gonna kick his ass if he hurts you?"

"Not Cory," Shawn joked as he looked at his friend that was struggling to open a package of M&Ms.

"Exactly," Eric smiled as Morgan groaned.

"I'm gonna go talk to him," Shawn said after a minute as he extricated himself from Morgan's grip.

* * *

"Hey George," he said softly as he entered the room. "You sure know how to liven up a party huh? You need to be ok, alright? No more of these heart attacks," he said as tears clouded his vision. "If I lose you, who the hell will I have left? You were always there for me Feeny, always; even when I didn't want you there. Well now I'm gonna be here for you, I'm not going anywhere. You can't scare us like this. I already lost my dad like this, don't make me lose you too," he said softly. He sat there for a minute, fully feeling everything he felt for the past three hours, letting the tears roll silently down his face before sitting up straight and wiping them away.

"Hey," Morgan knocked on the door. "You ok?"

He nodded. "I just wanted to be with him. I hate hospitals, they give me the heebies. But I just can't leave him alone you know?"

She nodded as she walked up to him. "I know what you mean. Every time he comes in here, I'm terrified that it's going to be his last. He can't die though, I mean he's Feeny; we all fully believe that he's invincible," she joked.

"He is," Shawn replied seriously. She smiled at him and kissed his head. "You need some sleep soon," she said as she started to walk away but he caught her hand.

"I love you Morgan," he said quietly and she stood stock still.

"What?"

He nodded. "I do. I guess I just didn't realize it until tonight but after you hung up on me all I wanted to do was make it right. I feel like such a jackass," he rolled his eyes.

"Well you are."

"Thanks. Wasn't exactly the type of response I was going for but-"

"No! You're a jackass because I've been in love with you since I was seventeen," she laughed. "You were just always out of reach though."

"How about now?" he asked as he pulled her closer.

"Don't leave again," she replied.

"I won't," was his response.

Ever so slightly in his sleep, George Feeny smiled.

_Come to me now  
And lay your hands over me  
Even if it's a lie  
Say it will be alright  
And I shall believe_

I'm broken in two  
And I know you're on to me  
That I only come home  
When I'm so all alone  
But I do believe

That not everything is gonna be the way  
You think it ought to be  
It seems like every time I try to make it right  
It all comes down on me  
Please say honestly you won't give up on me  
And I shall believe  
And I shall believe

Open the door  
And show me your face tonight  
I know it's true  
No one heals me like you  
And you hold the key

Never again  
would I turn away from you  
I'm so heavy tonight  
But your love is alright  
And I do believe

That not everything is gonna be the way  
You think it ought to be  
It seems like every time I try to make it right  
It all comes down on me  
Please say honestly  
You won't give up on me  
And I shall believe  
I shall believe  
And I shall believe

* * *

  
a/n: so what'd you guys think? I'm considering doing an epilogue if y'all are interested in it... and i chose the song because a) i'm like obsessed with it right now and b) i think it actually fits cory and morgan's little relationship that they have growing. but thanks for much reading and remember to review!! :)  



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